


take only what you think you need

by ewidentnie



Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, M/M, Sharing Clothes, Toronto Blue Jays, more like stealing clothes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 10:45:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10829682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ewidentnie/pseuds/ewidentnie
Summary: “You know,” Troy says, “they gave you your own sweater for a reason."





	take only what you think you need

**Author's Note:**

> this is really just one massive callout post for josh to stop CUTTING THE SLEEVES OFF YOUR DAMN SWEATERS YOU GREASY BASTARD
> 
> (kidding, i find it oddly endearing as i do about 99% of the other shit he pulls.)
> 
> this.......is not the fic i wanted to or should have been writing for these two, oops. written in less than three days; it is incredibly rough and i am incredibly sorry.
> 
> this vaguely takes place during 2017 spring training, i guess, but i'm actually not sure if they still roomed together this year. the title's from taking back sunday’s “i’ll find a way to make it what you want”.
> 
> if you got here by googling yourself or someone you know, please hit the back button for both my sake and yours.

Troy hasn’t roomed with anyone since his minor league days. He has a brief moment of panic after he asks Josh to live with him - just for spring training, nothing too serious - there are so many things that could go wrong, but then Josh accepts and all that goes right out the window.

It turns out that he didn’t need to worry: so many of the things he’d butted heads with previous roommates over in the past are non-issues now. It is, frankly, amazing what a major league salary can do in that regard.

He should be a little offended that the club doesn’t think any of them are capable of doing their laundry, except he knows some of the younger guys and knows that it’s a service to all of them and to their noses. As a result, most of their dirty laundry ends up bundled into bags and sent off once a week. It’s easy to lose track of things like that, especially when you’re travelling back and forth between the clubhouse every day and 90% of everyone’s clothing is the exact same club-issued gear. 

Which is why it isn’t a huge deal when his spring training hoodie goes missing. Or at least it shouldn’t be, but Troy  _knows_  he brought it home last night. It isn’t even like he really needs it - Dunedin’s a little chilly in the mornings right now, but it heats up quick and a sweater's useless by midmorning, if not earlier, and anyone who came in with long sleeves has usually discarded them off to the side before noon. He could just deal with this later, but now that he realizes he doesn’t know where it is it’s bothering him more than anything, which is why he spends half an hour tearing apart his room - and some of the other rooms - looking for it instead of eating breakfast. 

Finally, he gives up. “Josh,” he calls, coming down the stairs, “have you seen my—“

He stops dead in the kitchen doorway. Josh, that smug asshole, is at the kitchen island looking far too put together for this early in the morning, especially when Troy’s spent the past thirty minutes digging for one sweater and already feels rumpled.

“Hey, morning," Josh says. "I made you coffee,” like it’s that hard to pop a K-cup into the goddamn Keurig, “but it’s probably cold by now.”

Wearing Troy’s fucking sweater.

He can’t even be mad.

“You know,” Troy says, ignoring the mug that Josh is helpfully nudging in his direction and heading right past him to go make his own, “they gave you your own sweater for a reason."

Josh is, apparently, a better actor than that Vikings cameo gives him credit for. Still not a good one, though. "I got no idea what you're talking about," he says, punctuated with the most purposeful sip of coffee Troy's ever heard in his life, like butter wouldn't melt in his damn mouth.

Troy just hums. He's onto Josh's tricks by now; when he gets like this it's easier to hold out than it is to show weakness by backing down. He lets Josh sweat it out for a bit, not even dignifying him with a response as the Keurig gurgles before spitting out his coffee.

He makes a show of adding milk and sugar to it, even though they both know Troy usually drinks it black. Josh is still studiously examining his coffee when he heads back across the kitchen to the island, not meeting Troy's eyes. He's not gonna be winning an Oscar anytime soon, that's for sure.

"Just figured you might have an idea where it went," Troy says, setting his mug down in front of the seat next to Josh's and placing his free hand on the nape of Josh's neck. Josh relaxes - he can tell the exact moment he thinks he's gotten away scot-free and as soon as he opens his mouth, that's when Troy digs for the tag and flips it out so he can see the blocky 2 in the morning light, his handwriting in permanent marker, just in case there was a laundry mix-up.

"Looks like you're missing a zero there," Troy says lightly.

Josh, shameless as ever, just laughs. "Busted," he says. "What, you want it back?"

The mystery's been solved. Troy finally sits, taking a drink of his too-sweet coffee. "If you wanted to borrow it, you could have just asked," he says, amused. "I mean, you wouldn't have this problem if you didn't insist on cutting all the sleeves off your damn sweaters, but you could have just asked."

Josh slumps over the island counter, head cradled in the crook of one elbow. "Where's the fun in that?" he complains. "It's not the same if I ask."

Troy snorts. "Better to ask for forgiveness, huh? How are you gonna make it up to me, then?"

Josh sits up at that, crossing his arms as he looks up, the very picture of thoughtfulness. "You can borrow mine, if you want," he says magnanimously, like it's at all equal.

"You're insufferable," Troy says, fondness creeping in alongside the exasperation. "Absolutely insufferable."

Josh just grins at him, too bright for this early in the morning. "You're still here, though," he says, like it's obvious.

"That I am," Troy agrees, leaning over so he can catch the edge Josh's jaw in one hand, turning his face towards him to kiss him, tasting like coffee and entirely too much sugar.

 

 

 

The good thing about having the same clothes as your teammates is that nobody can tell the difference when you come in wearing something that isn't actually yours.

"I see you've jumped on the no-sleeves trend as well," Devon says. Troy's lack of sleeves is pretty noticeable today, he guesses, but nobody seems to have noticed Josh's sweater suddenly regaining them, let alone started to put two and two together.

"Yeah," Troy says, lying through his teeth, "I saw Josh did it with his sweater and it seemed like a good idea, you know?"

Devon nods like he completely understands. He probably actually does - Josh has this weird pull with some of the younger kids that has them following him like the stuff he does is an actual trend and not just more weird shit he does because he thinks it's a good idea.

He catches Josh's eye across the training field. Josh grins, sticking his tongue out as if he knows what Troy and Devon are talking about. Troy just rolls his eyes, but he knows Josh sees the smile that he can't stop spreading on his face before he turns away.

As predicted, Troy's sweater gets stripped off and dropped at the side of the field before the morning's even halfway done.

He can't even be mad.

**Author's Note:**

> i…….realized after i started writing this that i don’t actually have any photographic proof of troy wearing a spring training sweater with the sleeves cut off. ([here](https://68.media.tumblr.com/e3276d4e939124129a6cc3a2bfa07c31/tumblr_olfu8sVY4J1v7gyy3o1_1280.jpg) is a photo of him wearing a tshirt with the sleeves cut off, which is what i was probably misremembering.)
> 
> thank you so so _so_ much to everyone who read, left kudos or a comment on my last fic!! they all mean so much to me, i cannot even express it in words ;;
> 
> come hang out with me on [tumblr](http://ewidentnie.tumblr.com) or on [twitter](http://twitter.com/kingsglaives) (locked to keep prying IRL eyes away, but please feel free to follow - i’d love to have more baseball friends)!
> 
> i miss these two so much pls come back from the DL soon T_____T
> 
> EDIT: I AM ADDING THIS COMMENT ON MAY 13th 2017 TO NOTE THAT DEVON TRAVIS DID A POST GAME INTERVIEW IN A SHIRT WITH THE SLEEVES CUT OFF, I AM SO VINDICATED RIGHT NOW YOU DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND


End file.
